


Like the Tide

by ShewasXena



Category: Outcast (TV 2016)
Genre: Blood, Canon Rewrite, I will take the hammer and fix the cannon, Interrogation, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 08:09:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11619471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShewasXena/pseuds/ShewasXena
Summary: Kyle Barnes is out of options. But the answers to all his problems may just be tied up in a cults barn cellar.





	Like the Tide

**Author's Note:**

> I was unsatisfied with the ending of season two of Outcast, thus I fixed it. I feel that Sidney would have made for an interesting anti-hero.

“Is that all you can tell us?”

“Yes,” Sidney replied spitting a glob of black goo onto the floor. “Or at least that’s as much as I’m willing to tell you right now.”

“So you’re holding out on us then?” Reverend Anderson sneered, “You aren’t exactly in a position to be doing that.”

Sidney started to laugh. It was a weak laugh, laced with coughs and hacking. “You aren’t kidding anyone with this tough guy act, Reverend.” He was tired, exhausted actually, but he didn’t show it. “Ya’ll need me.”

“What makes you think that?” Kyle said.

“You’re desperate, anyone can see that, you’re running out of options. Why else would I still be alive?”

No one said a word. A sly smile creeped across Sidney’s face, he was right. He coughed again, sharp waves of pain spreading through his chest.

Kyle cast a forlorn look in Anderson and Dakotas direction. Reverend Anderson crossed his arms and idly kicked the ground. He didn’t look at Sidney. Neither did Dakota.

“Alright, so maybe we do.” Barnes said, squatting down so his face hovered close to Sidneys. “But you know what? Maybe you need us too.”

Sidney coughed. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re friends in town seem to have carried on without you,” Anderson said, ever ready to deliver bad news to Sidney. “Seems like your time in the sun is over.”

Sidney processed this. There was only one person who could move things along to this degree and make Barnes this desperate, Park. It had to be. The council wouldn’t be taking action like this it wasn’t like them. No, it had to be Park. The heat of anger flushed across his face. He tried not to show that either. “The good doctor been giving you trouble?” he finally said.

“How did you know that?” Kyle asked, surprised.

“Before all of-,” Sidney gestured as much as he could with his hands bound, “this. When we last spoke he said he might want to diverge from the plan we were given.” Sidney’s face contorted in disgust. “He seems to like living here in these bodies.” 

“So what is his plan then?” Dakota said.

“Now I may know a lot of things about my people but Parks plans is not one of ‘em.”

“This is a waste of time.” The Reverend said.

Kyle eyed Sidney. “Maybe not.” He stood and strode across the room, motioning his friends to follow. They gathered at the other side of the cellar and started talking in hushed tones.

Sidney craned his head in attempt to catch some of the conversation but to no avail. He sighed, only to regret it, every breath he took was painful. He was thirsty too. He would have killed everyone in the room for a glass of water. Of course he would have killed them anyway but that wasn’t the point. He watched his three captors through a sickly haze of blood and sweat. Normally he was good at determining people’s intentions. But now he wasn’t so sure. If they wanted him dead they had had many opportunites. All this sitting around made him anxious. His chest burned and ached. He felt so vulnerable sitting there exposed like this. It was undignified.

“No, no fuckin’ way,” Anderson exclaimed suddenly, his face curling into a scowl.

“I don’t like it any more than you do.” Kyle snapped. “But what else is there to do?”

“It’s the only way, Rev.” Dakota chimed in. “I told you, he knows more than he’s letting on, even he just said so himself.”

Anderson shook his head. “It’s a mistake, I’m telling you.”

“Yeah well we’ve already made a lot of mistakes.” Kyle said wearily. “Maybe now we can have a chance to fix them.”

“This won’t fix anything.” the Reverend muttered.

The wheels turned in Sidney’s brain. “Pardon the interruption,” Sidney said, “but I get the distinct feeling you might be wanting a..” he paused, “partnership with me.”

Kyle sighed. “I think it would be in our best interest if we did.”

“I don’t agree.” Anderson said.

“Well no one asked you, did they?” Sidney chuckled.

This seemed to be the straw the broke the camel’s back. The Reverend sent a sharp strike across Sidney’s jaw, nearly sending the demon careening backward onto the floor. He shook his fist, droplets of black goo and blood sprinkled every which way.

“Now that’s not very christian of you, John.”

“This is exactly what I’m talking about,” Anderson shouted, “The moment we put our trust in him we’re gonna be fucked.”

“Well I wouldn’t say no.” Sidney said with a wink.

Anderson threw up his arms and walked away. He paced back and forth before the cellar door.

Sidney looked to Kyle. “I wouldn’t say no to working with you. But it would come at a price.”

“I figured as much.”

“Then you’re smarter than you look.”

“And what would that price be, huh?” Anderson piped in, steaming. “Immunity?”

“That’s a start,” Sidney said, “I want permanent immunity for me and those who I deem worthy of it. Also I want a place for people like me to turn.” His voice was quite grim. “You can’t stop turning but you can control it. If you want order in this town you need to have a haven.”

The Reverend had stopped pacing now. He stood by the cellar door, watching.

“And what about the Great Merge?” Kyle pressed.

Sidney thought for a moment. Barnes seemed to think that the Merge could be stopped. The Merge was unstoppable like the tide. Like it or not it was coming in full force.But he knew better than to let this slip, he had some sense of self-preservation after all. “I can’t make any promises.” he said, “But you won’t have any trouble from my end,” His gaze slid over to the Reverend, “Just as long as our alliance stays together.”

“You won’t see no trouble from us.” Kyle said, “Isn’t that right, Reverend?”

Anderson shifted uncomfortably. “If you stay in line there won’t be no trouble.” He pointed an accusatory finger at Kyle. “But the moment this goes to hell I’ll be there to say, ‘I told you so’, got it?”

“Fine,” Kyle said.

Sidney thought he sounded tired. This war was wearing on the Outcast. Sidney wondered when Kyles breaking point would come and if he might be there when that day came. “It’s settled then,” he said, “Now would someone please get me out of this chair?”


End file.
